U.S. patent application number 14/185378 was filed with the patent office on 2015-06-18 for methods and systems for ensuring printer looses ability to print security patterns if disconnected from approved system.
This patent application is currently assigned to CTPG OPERATING, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is CTPG Operating, LLC. Invention is credited to Robert Delaney, John E. Tarbotton, Kyle Turner.
Application Number | 20150169884 14/185378 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53368824 |
Filed Date | 2015-06-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150169884 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Turner; Kyle ; et
al. |
June 18, 2015 |
Methods and Systems for Ensuring Printer Looses Ability to Print
Security Patterns if Disconnected from Approved System
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and system used to
ensure that a printer which is capable of printing security
patterns loses its ability to print these patterns if the printer
is disconnected from an approved system and, more particularly, to
a method and system including a printer containing an encrypted key
and password loaded into its memory, where the stored password must
match a password present in a data stream sent from the host
software application in order to print a requested print job.
Inventors: |
Turner; Kyle; (Lake Forest,
IL) ; Delaney; Robert; (Ithaca, NY) ;
Tarbotton; John E.; (Ithaca, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CTPG Operating, LLC |
Ithaca |
NY |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
CTPG OPERATING, LLC
Ithaca
NY
|
Family ID: |
53368824 |
Appl. No.: |
14/185378 |
Filed: |
February 20, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61916347 |
Dec 16, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
358/1.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/1222 20130101;
G06F 21/608 20130101; G06F 3/1238 20130101; H04L 63/083
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 21/60 20060101
G06F021/60; H04L 29/06 20060101 H04L029/06; H04N 1/00 20060101
H04N001/00 |
Claims
1. A digital printer structured or programmed to print at least a
first security feature on a substrate comprising: a first
identifier; a memory configured to store the first security
feature; a key code loaded into said memory, wherein said key code
is associated with said first identifier and is configured to
permit access to the first security feature stored in memory; a
first password loaded into said memory; and a non-transitory
computer-readable storage medium having program code for checking a
first condition to determine whether a second password is located
in a header of a data stream received by said digital printer from
a host; and wherein said non-transitory computer-readable storage
medium has program code for printing said first security feature on
the substrate only if at least said first condition is met.
2. The digital printer of claim 1, wherein said non-transitory
computer-readable storage medium has program code for checking a
second condition to determine whether said second password matches
said first password; and wherein said non-transitory
computer-readable storage medium has program code for printing said
first security feature on the substrate only if at least said first
and second conditions are met.
3. The digital printer of claim 2, wherein said non-transitory
computer-readable storage medium has program code for checking a
third condition to determine whether said key code is present
within said memory; and wherein said non-transitory
computer-readable storage medium has program code for printing said
first security feature on the substrate only if at least said
first, second, and third conditions are met.
4. The digital printer of claim 3, wherein said non-transitory
computer-readable storage medium has program code for checking a
fourth condition to determine whether said first password is
present within said memory; and wherein said non-transitory
computer-readable storage medium has program code for printing said
first security feature on the substrate only if said first, second,
third and fourth conditions are met.
5. The digital printer of claim 1, wherein said first identifier
comprises a first serial number.
6. The digital printer of claim 5, wherein said first security
feature comprises a security feature selected from the group
consisting of pantographs, watermarks, microprinting, verification
grids, validation marks, color, uv marks, IR marks, barcodes,
serial numbers, anti-copying marks, and any combination
thereof.
7. The digital printer of claim 6, wherein said anti-copying mark
is an Eurion mark.
8. The digital printer of claim 1, wherein at least one of said key
code, said first password and said second password can be changed
by an authorized user of the digital printer.
9. A method of printing at least a first security feature on a
substrate comprising the steps of: providing a digital printer
structured or programmed to print at least a first security feature
on a substrate comprising a first identifier, a memory configured
to store the first security feature, a key code loaded into said
memory, wherein said key code is associated with said first
identifier and is configured to permit access to the first security
feature stored in memory, and a first password loaded into said
memory; checking by a processor a first condition to determine
whether a second password is located in a header of a data stream
received by said digital printer from a host; and printing said
first security feature on the substrate only if at least said first
condition is met.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of checking
by a processor a second condition to determine whether said second
password matches said first password; and printing said first
security feature on the substrate only if at least said first and
second conditions are met.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of
checking by a processor a third condition to determine whether said
key code is present within said memory; and printing said first
security feature on the substrate only if at least said first,
second, and third conditions are met.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of
checking by a processor a fourth condition to determine whether
said first password is present within said memory; and printing
said first security feature on the substrate only if said first,
second, third and fourth conditions are met.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein said first identifier comprises
a first serial number.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said first security feature
comprises a security feature selected from the group consisting of
pantographs, watermarks, microprinting, verification grids,
validation marks, color, uv marks, IR marks, barcodes, serial
numbers, anti-copying marks, and any combination thereof.
15. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of said key code,
said first password and said second password can be changed by an
authorized user of the digital printer.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/916,347, filed Dec. 16, 2013, the
entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a method and system used to
ensure that a printer which is capable of printing security
patterns loses its ability to print these patterns if the printer
is disconnected from an approved system and, more particularly, to
a method and system including a printer containing an encrypted key
and password loaded into its memory, where the stored password must
match a password present in a data stream sent from the host
software application in order to print a requested print job.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Security patterns are used across a diverse marketplace to
deter fraud, counterfeiting, and theft. Interpol estimates that
worldwide counterfeit goods represent 5 to 7 percent of all world
trade or $600 million annually. In most cases, these security
patterns come pre-printed on digital print media. The digital print
media must be stored in a secure location so that counterfeiters
and thieves are not able to obtain the security patterns. If a
counterfeiter was able to obtain the media, they would be free to
print fraudulent security documents that would be very hard to
detect.
[0006] There are digital printers that can print these secure
patterns on demand on standard media. The advantage of these
printers is that the standard media does not have to be secured and
guarded against theft. Security patterns can be created on demand.
However, the printer must be set up with features/methods that
disable the printing of these security patterns if a thief were
able to steal the printer.
[0007] Description of the Related Art Section Disclaimer: To the
extent that specific patents/publications/products are discussed
above in this Description of the Related Art Section or elsewhere
in this Application, these discussions should not be taken as an
admission that the discussed patents/publications/products are
prior art for patent law purposes. For example, some or all of the
discussed patents/publications/products may not be sufficiently
early in time, may not reflect subject matter developed early
enough in time and/or may not be sufficiently enabling so as to
amount to prior art for patent law purposes. To the extent that
specific patents/publications/products are discussed above in this
Description of the Related Art Section and/or throughout the
application, the descriptions/disclosures of which are all hereby
incorporated by reference into this document in their respective
entirety(ies).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Various embodiments of the present invention may be
advantageous in that they may solve or reduce one or more of the
potential problems and/or disadvantages with conventional unsecured
digital printers that can print these secure patterns on demand on
standard media.
[0009] Various embodiments of the present invention may exhibit one
or more of the following objects, features and/or advantages:
[0010] It is a principal object and advantage of the present
invention to provide a digital printer that can print these secure
patterns on demand on standard media and includes features/methods
that disable the printing of these security patterns if a thief
were able to steal the printer.
[0011] In accordance with the foregoing principal object and
advantage, an embodiment of the present invention is directed to a
digital printer including one or more of the following. First, an
encrypted key is loaded into its memory that is uniquely tied to
the printer serial number, where the printer will open areas of its
memory where the security patterns are stored when this key is
present. The security patterns or features can include, for
example, pantographs, watermarks, microprinting, verification
grids, validation marks, color, uv and/or IR marks, unique
barcodes, serial numbers, anti-copying marks such as an Eurion
mark, any combination thereof, and any other security patter as
should be understood by those of skill in the art. The key can also
enable upgrades to the printer by opening up an area of the
printer's memory to load, as well as retrieve, security patterns.
Second, the printer can have a unique password loaded into its
memory. With this password in its configuration memory, the printer
will be configured to look for a matching password to be present in
the header of the data stream sent from the host software
application (preferably running on a computer separate from the
printer). If the password is not present in the data stream, the
printer will not print the security patterns. A customer setting up
the printer for the first time is encouraged to make this password
a unique alphanumeric password. In accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention, the password and the key loaded into the
memory, and the password that will be present in the data stream,
can be changed by a user/owner of the printer (e.g., an authorized
user),
[0012] This unique printer configuration has been designed to
prevent unauthorized use of the printer. If a printer is stolen,
the key will be present on the device, but when the thief attempts
to print a security pattern; the host computer will not have the
matching password in its header. Thus, the security pattern will
not print. If a printer is purchased without the key and a customer
attempts to print the security patterns, it will not print. They
will need to purchase a license which provides them the key to load
into the printer memory.
[0013] The details of one or more embodiments are described below
and in the accompanying drawings. Other objects and advantages of
the present invention will in part be obvious, and in part appear
hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The present invention will be more fully understood and
appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is (A) a flowchart showing a method of setting the
printer and host system up to ensure only authorized secure
patterns are printed, and (B) a flowchart showing the decision
process the printer goes through to determine if a security pattern
should be printed, according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] The present invention will be more fully understood and
appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference
numerals refer to like components.
[0017] Turning to FIGS. 1A-B, there is illustrated (A) a flowchart
showing a method of setting the printer and host system up to
ensure only authorized secure patterns are printed, and (B) a
flowchart showing the decision process the printer goes through to
determine if a security pattern should be printed, according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] While the invention has been described in connection with
what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiment, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that
the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, it
on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and
equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the
appended claims.
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